China News Service, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft Corp said a few days ago that it has hired an outside law firm to investigate the effectiveness of Microsoft's workplace sexual harassment policy and to investigate allegations of sexual harassment by its founder Bill Gates.

The survey report is due to be released this spring.

File photo: Bill Gates.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu

  Microsoft has hired law firm Arent Fox to review Microsoft's sexual harassment and sexism policies and to release a summary of past investigations into how the company handled allegations by executives including Bill Gates, the report said.

  Arent Fox will reportedly prepare a report detailing the effectiveness of its internal policies against sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace.

Until then, there has been constant pressure from shareholders to address the issue.

  Microsoft Chairman Satya Nadella said he understands the importance of maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all of the company's employees.

He added: "I accept all full investigations as an opportunity to continue to become better."

  The report said the report will be released to employees, shareholders and the public this spring.

  As previously reported, in 2019, Microsoft received a report that Bill Gates had an inappropriate relationship with an employee in 2000.

A Microsoft spokesman had told the media that a committee of the board hired a law firm to investigate.

Gates left Microsoft's board in early 2020.

But a spokesman for Bill Gates said his decision to step down had nothing to do with the incident.